Computer, Locate Naomi Wildman
by tiamat100
Summary: Naomi has left her quarters while grounded and Samantha storms Cargo Bay Two to look for her...  Icheb/Naomi Oneshot


"Computer" Samantha ordered. "Locate Naomi Wildman."  
She sighed, shaking her head. How could a child of only 6 years wander off so much? Samantha had locked Naomi in their quarters-actually locked her in-and she wasn't there.

"Naomi Wildman is in Cargo Bay Two."  
This was getting more and more frequent. Samantha frowned. It wasn't that she didn't like Seven (she did, very much) but she didn't want Naomi near any dangerous Borg technology and besides, Seven had taken the _grounded_ child from her locked quarters without asking for permission!  
Samantha left the room and stormed down the corridor and into the Turbolift, glowering at everyone she met. Many ensigns turned tail and ran at her glare- Harry just looked very confused and gave her a hurt puppy look. She made a mental note to explain to him later.

Approaching the Cargo Bay, she prepared to give a lecture to Seven of Nine on when exactly it was appropriate to take Naomi out. Walking through, she was shocked out of her "Angry-Mother mode" by the sight which met her eyes.

Seven of Nine wasn't there at all. Samantha could only see two people. Standing beside an alcove was Naomi, and inside the alcove Icheb appeared to be resting.  
"Naomi?" Sam whispered. Naomi immediately looked her way and Sam realised that she was holding hands with Icheb as she took a step away and dropped Icheb's hand in the process. Immediately Icheb's eyes flickered open.

"Warning: Regeneration Cycle Incomplete." The computer intoned, but Icheb and Naomi ignored it. Icheb took a step forward.

"Naomi?" He sounded both tired and confused.  
Naomi pointed at her mother.  
"Ensign Wildman." Icheb sounded both surprised and slightly guilty. "I assume that you came for Naomi."  
Samantha only nodded, pursing her lips.  
Naomi caught the look on her mother's face and winced, causing Icheb to start as he noted her reaction.  
Icheb looked almost panicked.  
"Icheb," Samantha began. "Are you aware that Naomi is grounded?"  
Icheb looked even more flustered now, which Naomi would have found amusing had she not known how much trouble she was in.

"I apologise, Ensign. I requested Naomi's help and she agreed to come with me and aid me until Seven came off duty. I apologise for causing her to disobey you. That was not our intention."  
Samantha almost smiled at the young man's earnestness. She could just imagine him, if Naomi were older, turning up and babbling through a request to take her on a date, or even marry her.  
Luckily Naomi wasn't quite that old yet.  
Instead of smiling, she glared. "And do you mind explaining what exactly Naomi was helping you with?"  
Now Icheb looked both pained and embarrassed. "I would rather not say."  
Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Naomi, you're grounded for twice as long and you're not allowed any chocolate or ice-cream for the next month."  
Naomi sighed. "Yes, Mom." She clearly had no objection to it, which surprised Sam. Usually her daughter would at least argue in her own defence. Samantha began to wonder if perhaps it was Naomi's loyalty to Icheb which prevented her from arguing back. If so, she was almost proud of her daughter, and felt almost that she should relent. She knew, however, that Naomi was clever enough to try and manipulate her into doing that, even if she doubted that her daughter ever would, and she couldn't let Naomi off without knowing what had happened.

Sometimes being a good parent was the most difficult thing in the world.  
"Bye, Icheb." Naomi called. She looked worried. Icheb swallowed. Naomi looked like she desperately wanted to add more, but a glance at her mother was all that was needed to remind her that she couldn't speak freely.

Icheb looked pained as they turned to leave.  
"Wait." He said. They paused. Samantha looked back at him.  
"Ensign, if I explain why I requested Naomi's help, would you consider lowering her punishment? I do not believe that she should be punished."  
"Explain." Samantha ordered, sounding remarkably like Seven. Although this hadn't been Sam's intention, it gave Icheb the courage to continue.

"Icheb, you don't have to-" Naomi protested, but Icheb cut her off.  
"I was afraid. I did not want to be alone. Naomi promised that she would stay with me to help prevent nightmares."  
He shuddered. "She promised that she would stay until Seven returned from her shift. I was very insistent. My plan worked. It is the first night in a long time that I have been able to regenerate without experiencing a nightmare."  
Samantha's motherly instinct was yelling at her by this point. Every inch of her wanted to apologise, hug the boy and promise them that Naomi would not be punished.

Somebody else beat her to it. To be more precise, two some ones. One walked past Samantha to get to the boy she looked upon as a son, and the other went out of concern for her best friend.  
Sam just stood there, and wished that she had handled things just a little better.

* * *

Samantha glared at the computer. "Computer, locate Naomi Wildman."  
"Naomi Wildman is in Cargo Bay Two."  
Samantha sighed. She'd known that the visit to the new Voyager had been a bad idea.

She hurried down the corridor, her glares this time directed towards unsuspecting tourists rather than Ensigns (she never had apologised to Harry, she recalled).  
Upon reaching the Cargo Bay, she was almost prepared to explode. How could Naomi just vanish like that? Again? Honestly, it was like her Voyager days were repeating on her. It had been 14 years but Sam still couldn't help but worry about her daughter.

Walking in, she saw a now familiar sight. Icheb regenerating, and her daughter beside him, clasping his hand. Seven of Nine was standing by a console, gazing at the pair. A forcefield separated them from the rest of the ship, allowing Naomi to be held in zero-gravity as she slept in a manner similar to that of early Earth astronauts. It was something which Seven had come up with.

Naomi was wide awake, and Seven looked tearful. The only person resting was Icheb, and even he had a smile upon his face.

Samantha could not uphold her anger, but she continued to look exasperated. That is, until Naomi waved at her, and something twinkled from her little girl's hand.  
"Mom, Icheb proposed!" Naomi mouthed, clearly afraid of waking her fiancé. Samantha's glare vanished and she felt a gleeful smile spread out over her face.

Glancing at Seven, she saw that the Astrometrics officer was feeling exactly the same as she was. Sharing a private smile between mothers, they each then looked back to their respective children and felt one thing.  
Love.


End file.
